Free A Carol Christmas by Sheila Roberts Page A

and had Christmas with my family.
    Keira barged into my thoughts. “You’ll be where?”
    “I’ve got a big meeting with the Nutri Bread people next week.”
    “Next week! You’re supposed to stay through New Year’s.”
    “Well, I’ll be here through Christmas.”
    “But Spencer and I are having a party for you before the fireworks.”
    That was my sister. She lived for parties.
    “Everyone’s going to be there, and they’re all looking forward to seeing you.”
    She made it sound like I was running out on her wedding. We needed to put this in perspective. “Who’s everyone?” I asked.
    “Me, for one,” Gabe said.
    “I’m already seeing you. Right now.”
    “And doesn’t it make you want to see me more?”
    I gave him a get-a-grip look and he shrugged and dug into his salad.
    Keira was scowling at me. “I’d think being with your family for the first time in two years would rate higher than some dumb meeting about bread.”
    I didn’t need a second mom for Christmas. “Not all of us are marrying a sugar daddy.” I was sorry the minute I said it.
    “I love Spencer,” Keira said, stung.
    I sighed. “I’m sorry.”
    “You should be. And I’ve gone to a lot of trouble to plan this party. We’re having it at Spencer’s. And it’s catered.”
    Oh, boy
.
    “Mom’s not going to like this.”
    I was barely home and we were already falling into old patterns. Keira should just as well have said, “I’m telling.” “Look. Let’s not spoil Christmas. Okay?” I pleaded. “And you can still have your New Year’s Eve party.”
    “It won’t be the same without you.”
    I suddenly remembered how Keira had always wanted me at her parties when we were kids and how she tried to horn in when my friends and I sprawled around my bedroom and talked about boys. She was my little sister, and she’d looked up to me.
    And I loved her. So to prove it, I was escaping back to NYC as quickly as possible. I felt like a rat.
    Until I remembered about my sister dating Gabe. Then I felt justified in ducking out on her party. Anyway, she hadn’t said anything about it until now, so it wasn’t like I was deliberately ditching her.
    I pointed that out.
    “I didn’t see any need to tell you since you were supposed to be here.”
    “Well, I was planning on it.”
    “And now you’re not.” She looked at me in disgust. “What if a big meeting comes up on my wedding day? Will you bug out on being my maid of honor?”
    “I wouldn’t have a meeting on a weekend.”
    “Well, you shouldn’t have a meeting during the holidays, either.”
    “Hey, you two. The blood’s starting to splash everywhere and you’re ruining my appetite,” said Gabe.
    Keira shut up and glared at her salad.
    I stabbed a piece of Curried Clucker, then put it in my mouth and chomped down hard.
Are we having fun yet?

Chapter Six
    Keira didn’t speak to me for the rest of the afternoon. I could live with that. Happily. What I didn’t want was for her to start talking when we got home. To Mom.
    Thankfully, she didn’t rat me out when we got back. This was because Mom was having a teleshrink session with Dr. Phil and wouldn’t have heard the ratting.
    Mom’s obsession with Dr. Phil. Now, there was an interesting phenomenon. I watched her staring at the TV while he counseled a couple in crisis and thought of that old saying about shutting the barn door after the horse was already gone. In Mom’s case it was more like shutting the garage door after the Jag had vroomed off.
    So instead of tattling, my sister disappeared into the kitchen. Not a bad idea. My salad had long worn off. I wandered in for a sugar fix and opened the Tupperware container in search of a Christmas cookie. I stared in disbelief. Empty, bare, nada, zip. I looked up and saw my sister quickly stuffing the last frosted tree in her mouth.
    “You ate the last one,” I accused.
    “There’ll be more at the New Year’s Eve party,” she said, shooting crumbs at me. Then